"Practices of large-scale surveillance have to be carefully examined from a fundamental rights perspective."

The implications are far-reaching. They go well beyond the "traditional dilemma between the rights of citizens to data protection and the right of the state to depart from the rule of law in the name of national security."

They raise fundamental questions about what kind of societies we want. What kind are acceptable? What lines must never be crossed? What freedoms are too precious to lose?

"(I)n a democracy, large-scale surveillance restructures the very notion of security and protection of human beings as well as the conception of freedom and fundamental rights."

Mass surveillance "disrupts social cohesion." Inaction by European authorities to stop lawless practices assures they'll continue. "(S)ilence could be interpreted as complicity."

"The controversies raised by the recent revelations will not vanish easily. Action, or lack thereof, by the European Parliament will be watched carefully."

"The Commission has already asked the Director of the NSA and the UK representative in Brussels to account for what has happened."

"Letters have been sent but no answers have been received. The credibility of the Commission itself is at stake, and more generally that of the EU institutions."

A Final Comment

Heads of Britain's three intelligence services (GCHQ, MI5 and MI6) gave unprecedented public testimony. They did so on Thursday before Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).

They defended the indefensible. They lied claiming documents Snowden released damaged their ability to keep Britain safe. MI6 head John Sawers said:

"The leaks from Snowden have been very damaging, and they've put our operations at risk."

"It's clear that our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee. Al Qaeda is lapping it up."

According to GCHQ head Iain Lobban:

Terrorist groups abroad "and closer to home (assessed) the communications packages they use now and the communication packages they wish to move to avoid what they now perceive to be vulnerable communications methods."

"The cumulative effect of global media coverage will make our job far, far harder for years to come."

MI5 head Andrew Parker piously claimed:

"The work we do is addressing directly threats to this country, to our way of life and to the people who live here."

"The suggestion that somehow what we do is somehow compromising freedom and democracy. Of course, we believe the opposite to be the case."

Session format was Q & A. It was more lovefest than grilling. Former Tory Defense and Foreign Secretary Malcomb Rifkind led it.